Building construction



.E. A. LAUGHLIN. BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

APPLIZATION man FEB. 14. I919. patentedsept 28 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

EDWARD A. TIAUGHLIN, OF PORT ARTHUR, TEXAS.

' BUILDING CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed February 14, 1919. Serial No. 276,971.

tion, and is fully described and explained in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the salient elements of my building construction, Fig. 2 is a perspective of one of the studs or joist, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of one of studs or joist, Fig. 4 is a perspective of one of the plates or sills with which the studs or joist engage, Fig. 5 is a perspective of one of the upper corners showing intersection of plates and stud, Fig. 6 is a detailed perspective of a portion of the floor construction on the line 6 of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a similar sectional perspective on the line 7 of Fig. 1, Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 9 is an elevation of one of the plates, embodyin a modification of the construction.

Tteferring to the drawings, 10 is a transverse sill, provided across its upper surface with shallow dadoes 11, which are spaced at regular intervals corresponding to the spacing which is to be employed for the floor joists. 12 is a plank, or exterior sill set on edge, and provided across its inner face with a series of tapered, dovetailed dadoes or notches, one of which is shown in Fig. 4. 13 is a plate, provided across its lower face with shallow dadoes 14. 15 are the floor joists, set on edge, and entering the dadoes described, that is to say, the end of each floor joist rests in a dado on the sill 10, is

engaged with the vertical tapered, dovetailed dado or notchin the exterior sill 12, and the plate 13 is set down over the joists with its dadoes in engagement therewith, so as to locate and hold the same in proper position. By this means the floor joists are very securely fastened in position, and the structure may be assembled with great rapidity. The joists, being deeper or wider than the space between the sill 11 and the plate 13, it is impossible that they can be improperly placed or spaced, even by a careless workman.

At the base of the longitudinally extending sidewall of the building, the constructlon shown in Fig. 7 is employed. This embodies an xterior sill 16 and interior joist 17 spacer blocks 18 and a plate 19, affording, with the exterior sills, adequate strength, and. a joist on which the ends of the flooring boards may rest, and from that polnt on the structural members are spaced and placed at the regular distance apart.

The plates 13 and 19 are provided with tapered, dovetailed dadoes or notches of the construction shown in Fig. 4. Each of the notches generally indicated by 20 is provided with a surface or shoulder 21 at right angles to the face of the plate. The notch preferably has a flat bottom 22, and on the opposite side it is provided with an undercut curved surface or shoulder 23, and this surface inclines toward the plane or right angled surface or shoulder 21, so that the notch tapers and is smaller at one end than at the other. In the preferred form of construction, the notches are all similarly placed, so that the open end of the notches are all on one edge of the plate or sill, while in the modified construction, shown in Fig. 9,the positions of the notches are alternated. The merits of each form of construction will hereafter appear.

24 are the studs, each being provided atthe two ends with tenons, or heads, adapted to enter tapered dovetailed dadoes or notches. The construction is best shown in Figs. 2 and 3 from which it will be seen that one face of the stud is carried down to form a square shoulder, or corner, at the end. The opposite face of the stud, however, is cut to form a bead 25 which is inclined from the surface of the stud, so that the head is narrower at one end than at the other, to conform to the shape of the tapered dovetailed dado or notch. The heads or tenons on the opposite end of the same stud face laterally in opposite directions, but the small end of the tenon is always on the same edge. 26 are the upper wall plates, having on their lower surfaces tapered dovetailed dadoes or notches exactly like those already described in detail, and in their preferred form of construction the open ends of the dadoes all face one way.

The structure is assembled in a manner which will be quite obvious from an inspection of the drawings and the description of the details of the parts. hen the plat% are first positioned, the studs are pushed into position from one side, and they are automatically spaced and locked in position, and require only a minimum of securing by nails to make thestructure entirely firm. When the modified construction, shown in Fig. 9 is employed, alternate studs are and as soon as they are held against relative displacement by securing any board to them, the whole structure becomes self-locking. This structure is perhaps somewhat firmer than the preferred form, but the preferred form has certain convenience in assembling, in that the structure is all pushed into place from the same direction.

It will be quite obvious that the construe tion of the studs with the dovetailed heads facing in opposite direction on the two ends as shown in Fig. 3, makes it always unnecessary to turn a stud end for end in assembling. The ends are precisely similar and interchangeable, the workman can take the material just as it comes from the mill, and

assemble, without reference to which end of the stud happens to go up or down.

In the practical use of construction embodying my invention, it is intended that the notched and shaped parts described will be finished in the mill to known dimensions, and with considerable accuracy. The work can be done in quantities by machinery at high speed, and the material so made affords a means whereby buildings of various shapes and sizes, can be assembled with the greatest speed and economy. Dadoes or notches in the horizontal members being cut at regular intervals, all the regularly spaced parts will find their own places, with no difliculty Whatever. In this way the use of tools and labor in the construction of the 7 building is reduced to the minimum.

In the use of the material, it is convenlent to build the vertical corner, as illust'ratedin Fig. 1, that is to say, the plate of the transverse wall extends to the corner, and the plate of the longitudinal wall butts against it. The plate of the transverse wall is cut to bring the first stud, the width of a stud from the corner, and the plate of the longitudinal wall is cut off flush with one of the dovetailed notches. This automatically brings the. first stud in this wall the width of a stud from the corner so that the two studs form an interior angle of 90, in which may be placed corner blocks 27. It is most convenient to start the corner with the studs meeting as illustrated, and from that point on, the vertical members of the building are placed at the regular distance apart, deter mined by the prior construction of the woodwork in the mill.

The foregoing construction not only produces a building which possesses increased strength and stiffness, but produces one where the parts can be assembled with the utmost speed and economy, by comparatively unskilled labor. It is quite possible to design a building for the employment of this material, so that all the measurements will come out in even multiples of the spacing unit selected, and in that event it will practically be unnecessary to re-cut any of the material. In any event, the more important parts of the building frame will be cut to lengths quite accurately at the mill and will fittogether without any hand work on the job.

I realize that considerable variation is possible in the details of the construction herein shown, and I do not intend to limit myself thereto, except as pointed out in the following claims, in which it is my intention to claim all the novelty inherent in the deviceas broadly as is permitted by the state of the art. i

That I claim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a building construction, walls having plates at top andbottom, notched with dovetailed notches at regular intervals and tween the plates and, provided with dovetailed: extensions, narrower at one end, which enter the notches and are positioned thereby, the narrower ends of the extensions being on the same edges of the stud.

4. In a building construction, walls hav ing plates at top and bottom, notched with dovetailed notches, each of which has one shoulder at rightangles to the plane of the plate and one under-cut" shoulder, such notches being located at regular intervals,

and studs extendingbetween the plates and provided with dovetailed extensions, one face of which continues the plane of the face of the stud andthe other face of which is shaped to fit the notch of the plates, said extensions entering the notches in the plates and being positoned thereby. r.

5. In a building construction, walls having plates at top and bottom, notched at regular intervals with dovetailed notches, each of which has one shoulder at right "angles to the plate and one undercut shoulder inclined toward the first named shoulder to form a taper, and studs provided with dovetailed extensions, extending between the plates, each extension havingone face which continues the plane of the face of the stud and one face which is shaped to fit the notch of the plate, the under-cut faces of the notch groping toward the opposite face to form a taper.

6. In a building construction, walls having plates at top and bottom, notched at regular intervals with dovetailed notches, each having one shoulder at right angles to the plane of the plate and one under-cut shoulder inclined toward the opposite shoulder to form a taper and studs extending between the plates, having dovetailed extensions, each of which has one face continuing the plane of the face of the stud and the other shaped to fit the corresponding notch, the plane faces of the extensions of the studs lying on opposite sides of the same stud.

7. In a building construction, walls having plates at top and bottom, the plates being notched at regular intervals with dovetailed notches, each notch having one shoulder at right angles to the plane of the plate and one under-cut shoulder of curved frame inclined toward the opposite shoulder to form a taper, and studs extending between the plates, the studs having dovetailed notches at their ends, such extensions having one face continuing the plane of the face of the stud and the other curved and inclined toward the first named shoulder to fit the notch.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 15th day of January,

E. A. LAUGHLIN. [11. s.] 

